IN THE EARLY DAYS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18008, 13 July 1928, Page 12 (Supplement)

IN THE EARLY DAYS.

PIG HUNTING EXPERIENCES (BY A. J. MORRIS.) In the early days of Timaru life, tmj humdrum existence of its pioneers was more than rarely enlivened by the visit to their midst- of a good oia “Captain Cooker,” who had seemingly come on a tour of inspection to report progress to his fraternity in the lower hills, or gullies. Then would ensue tno wildest consternation among the women and children,, overshadowed by the yelping of every dog in the district, Men dropped their implements of livelihood and rushed- for their guns, yelling for everybody to get- out of their’ way, while they developed the blood lust in their eyes that indicated to all the world, and his wife, that there was something doing, or to be done. The pandemonium was so startling that a messenger from Mars would have imagined that a new fashioned donnybiook had been let loose, as they chased over the hills and dales after their guest of honour, who had soou instinctively awakened to the fact that there wore quieter localities on this planet than in a humanised hornet’s nest. A wild pig is naturally endowed with a strong tendency towards good fellowship, and the turning down of his desire to be genial, must have proved a great shock to his susceptibilities. Bang! Bang! would go the guns, when the dogs, who tried to “ear” him, made an opening for a shot as the “tusker” tossed them through the air.

But what jubilation, when fresh, pork was added' to the larder. Sometimes,. when 1 supplies were running short, a party would, go out pig-hunt-ing and sometimes they , became the hunted party. More than one man lino discovered that'a convenient perch in the fork of a tree, with a good view of'the surrounding country, was more entertaining than the attentions of a too-amorous sow, whose litter liad been molested. On one occasion, history says in proof of its vdracity, that a party drew a blank for their day’s peregrinations, until they were neary home, when just over the brow of a bill, they unexpectedly almost collided with the nether end of a good old tusker, who was then innocently and diligently engaged in rooting up choice morsels, to be enjoyed with bis afternoon tea. The only one among them who, at the time, had a loaded gun, was an old sailor called Strathnllan Jack, who was as thin as a length of tarred rope, and stood about six feet six inches in his bare feet. So sudden was the meeting that, without realising what the consequences of his actim., would be, lie emptied bis gun into the still unsuspecting pig. One wi d shriek from Captain Cook’s representative clove the air in twain, as be made a lightning wheel about and faced tormentor. Then it was a case of every man for himself, and the fun became fast and furious. All bands, excepting the culprit, recognised that “delays have dangerous ends,” so they va.. islied from sight like wraiths in the heather. There was a momentary sti 1ness in the surcharged electrical atmosphere and • than that pig,'seeing Jack drop the smoking gun, made a hoe-line for him, and Jack made a bee-line across country, with strides that-’have only been emulated by that fairy prince of old. who went courting in three-leagued boots. “Over the hills and far away” they careered at a bat that would make the finish of the Timaru Cup look like a London coster’s donkey race. In the distant and far remote, there gradually loomed to vision a frionaiy cabbage tree, and no sailor ever sealed

faster up the mizzen rigging than did Jack up that tree. And while the porker rehearsed the Romeo and Juliet scene by dancing the Sailor’s Hornpipe round the base of that tree, with heart-rending squeals for the good state of Jack’s lieahh, our knight errant, between grampus pull's for want of breath, reciprocated in such endearing. nautical language, that had any Yankee deep-sea skipper been within hearing, ho would have turned green with envy, and would have doffed his cap to Jack in admiration. Sport was sport in Timaru in those times.